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Michael Mansfield became a barrister in 1967 and, since then, he’s worked on some very high-profile cases in the UK. He has overturned miscarriages of justice, fought for civil liberties, and for change.

He helped to free the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six. He defended the Orgreave miners, fought for the family of Stephen Lawrence. And he represented victims’ families at inquiries into the sinking of the Marchioness, the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, and the fire at Grenfell Tower.

Michael has now written a book, called The Power in The People: How We Can Change The World. In it, he revisits some of his most important cases, to demonstrate that, when people get together, they can make lasting and positive change.

Michael wants to inspire people. To give them a blueprint for fighting their own battles and to challenge the status quo. Because he believes that: those who stand in the way of change cannot do so forever.

Related links:

The People's Covid Inquiry

The Warwick District People's Climate Change Inquiry

Stéphane Hessel's Indignez-Vous! (Time For Outrage)

Michael's Two Heads podcast

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Sir Chris Bryant was born in Cardiff, and lived in Spain as a child, before returning to the UK. After reading English at Oxford, he studied Theology and was ordained in the Church of England. 

He then spent time in Latin America, and worked as a curate, before deciding to leave the church and move into politics. Chris was elected MP for Rhondda in 2001 and he’s held this seat for Labour ever since. Along with a variety of frontbench and committee posts, in both government and opposition. 

For the past two years, Chris has been very busy as Chair of the Standards Committee. But, earlier this month, he returned to the Labour frontbench, as Shadow Minister for Creative Industries and Digital. 

During his parliamentary career, Chris has earned a reputation as someone unafraid to speak truth to power - as a vocal critic of both News International and Vladamir Putin. But he also enjoys cross-party collaboration and he was given an award, for Civility in Politics, in 2022.

Chris is also a big fan of parliamentary process. He will happily nerd out on a point of order and he’s just published a book on the subject, called Code of Conduct: Why We Need to Fix Parliament – and How to Do It. He strongly believes - that when parliamentary standards fall – public trust wears thin.

Related links:

Chris' website

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Stephen Davis is an investigative journalist and author, who has worked around the world, on newspaper stories and documentaries.

He’s also a podcaster, whose most recent series investigates the sinking of the passenger ferry Estonia. It is Europe’s worst shipping disaster - since the Titanic - and a gripping tale of tragedy, smuggling, and spies.

But this interview will focus on the fate of British Airways Flight 149. This is another story which reads like a film script and which Stephen has been covering for more than 30 years. 

On the 1st August 1990, nearly 400 passengers and flight crew were caught up in the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. They were taken hostage, used as human shields, and endured months of terror.

Many of the hostages hold Saddam Hussein principally responsible for their ordeal. But they also believe that Flight 149 should never have landed in Kuwait. And they are now taking legal action against the British Government and British Airways, for their alleged role in the ordeal.

Related links:

Stephen's book: The Secret History of Flight 149

Episode 1 of The Secret History of Flight 149 podcast

Liz Truss' November 2021 statement on the events surrounding Flight 149

BBC & PA story on the legal action (including the latest statement from British Airways)

The National Archives documents on Flight 149

Episode 1 of The Secret History of The Estonia

Stephen's Twitter account (@Theeditorspeaks)

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Professor Rose Anne Kenny is an expert in ageing who has over 35 years of clinical and research experience. She’s a Professor of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College, Dublin, and the Director of Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing, at St. James's Hospital.

Rose Anne is also the brains behind TILDA - a groundbreaking research study into ageing in Ireland - which has followed eight and a half thousand adults - aged 50 plus - since 2009.

She published a best-selling book last year: Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life. And she’s passionate about sharing what she’s learned, to change our experience of - and attitude towards - ageing. 

In this conversation, Jon learns more about how diet, exercise, social engagement and attitude can affect our experience of ageing. And this is a conversation for all ages - younger listeners shouldn’t postpone making changes and it's never too late to start.

Related links:

Jon's documentary for Channel 4: How To Live To 100

Professor Sophie Scott's episode on brain health

Deaths of Despair by Anne Case & Angus Deaton

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Jess McDonald was one of the first recruits on The Metropolitan Police’s Direct Entry Detective Scheme. Launched in 2017, to address a shortage of detectives, this scheme was not without its critics. Successful applicants had a direct route into a career as a detective, without first undertaking a role in uniform policing. 

When Jess first pitched an idea for a book, she wanted to bridge the gap between people’s fascination with true crime and the reality of what it is to be a detective. But she ended up leaving the job she loved and writing about the challenges she found - both in The Met and the justice system. 

Jess believes that transparency can only be bracingly positive. A sentiment that was shared by Baroness Casey, when she conducted a year-long review of The Met, following the murder of Sarah Everard, by a serving officer.

Given that Jess worked on cases of domestic abuse, this interview may include content that some may find triggering. But it’s a fascinating insight into the life, and work, of a Met detective.

Related links:

Jess's book: No Comment: What I Wish I'd Known About Becoming A Detective

Baroness Casey's Report

Domestic abuse - how to get help

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The Nottingham-born comedian Matt Forde has been fascinated by politics ever since he was 9 years old. Raised by his mum, without much money, Matt experienced life: “at the sharp end of every political decision taken by the government.”

He studied politics at university and, after working for a few MPs, he became a regional organiser for the Labour Party. But by 2010, Matt had left party politics behind and, when he moved to London, he began to pursue a career in stand-up. A job at TalkSPORT followed and he also wrote for shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats and The Last Leg.

In 2013, Matt launched The Political Party Podcast, which combines topical comedy and a light-hearted interview - with a big political name. He also hosts the award-winning British Scandal podcast, with Alice Levine. And, in 2020, he revived Spitting Image, which is currently enjoying a run in London’s West End.

This interview was recorded on Monday 24th July, hot on the heels of three by-elections, and just before Matt headed off to Edinburgh - with a brand new stand-up show, titled Inside No. 10, and three Political Party specials.

Related links:

Matt's website

Matt's interview with Tessa Jowell

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Mick Lynch is the General Secretary of Britain's largest specialist transport trade union, the RMT.

In May 2022, the RMT announced that its members had voted overwhelmingly in favour of strikes, in a dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. 

At the time, they said it was the biggest endorsement of industrial action, by railway workers, since privatisation. But the dispute remains unresolved. And 20,000 railway workers will now walk out over three more days, on the 20th, 22nd and the 29th of July. 

All this is set against a cost of living crisis, and a wave of industrial action that has included teachers, nurses, junior doctors, and university staff. And while the government has just made a pay offer to millions of public sector workers, they are also looking to curb strike disruption with a new bill.

In this interview, recorded on Monday 17th July, Mick reflects on a year of industrial action, the campaign to save ticket offices, the Strikes Bill, Labour policy, rail nationalisation and Brexit.

Related links:

The Rail Delivery Group's response to the latest RMT strike dates

The Department for Transport's dispute handling guide for train operating companies (& rail passenger contracts)

Have your say on proposals to change the way ticket offices are staffed

The Strikes Bill and the impact assessment

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South Londoner Candice Carty-Williams has gone from publishing house marketing executive, to literary sensation - and now, she's taking on TV.

Queenie, her 2019 debut, was a best-seller. Critics and readers loved it and Candice won several awards, including book of the year at the Nibbie’s.

Fast forward to 2023 and Candice is the creative force behind two big series: Champion, a BBC drama which revolves around two siblings (Bosco and Vita Champion) and celebrates the Black British music which she loves. As well as a much-anticipated dramatisation of Queenie for Channel 4.

Candice is both talented and determined. If there's something she wants to change - or do - she goes for it. She will fight her corner, work very hard to prove what she's capable of, and create opportunites for others along the way. She is loving the collaboration of television - working with a team of writers, as well as composers, music producers and other creatives - in her new role as a showrunner. Fortunately, there's always a book waiting to get out (and the next one will feature a person who Candice - and many others - have missed).

Related links:

Candice's website

The trailer for Champion

The 4thWrite Short Story Prize (which Candice launched)

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The poet and writer Sir Ben Okri was born in Nigeria and spent some of his childhood in London, before moving with his family to Lagos, on the eve of the Nigerian Civil War. This experience had a defining impact on Ben, who has said that he is “crammed full” of the painful things that he witnessed.

In 1978, Ben returned to London to study but he really came to write. By 21 he had published his first novel and, at the age of 32, The Famished Road won the Booker Prize.

Ben's latest publication is Tiger Work - a collection of poetry, short stories and essays about the climate crisis. He writes with urgency about our "suicidal relationship with the earth’" and believes that we must imagine the end of things, so that we can imagine how we will come through this existential crisis. But he remains an optimist, who believes in the power of art and storytelling to activate our hearts. And that, when our backs are against the wall, human beings can accomplish extraordinary things.

Related links:

Ben's website

Ben reads Grenfell Tower, June, 2017 on Channel 4 News

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The voice of broadcaster and writer Anita Anand will be familiar to many. Her career began while she was still at university, in the newsroom of satellite channel Zee. Anita was then snapped up by Radio 5 Live and she has since presented many news and current affairs programmes on the BBC.

In 2012, Anita became the host of Any Answers on Radio 4, where she also hosts The Reith Lectures. A few years later, she published her first book: a compelling biography of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, daughter of the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire and a goddaughter of Queen Victoria.

This book launched a divergent career in history. After the sucess of her debut, Anita wrote Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond with William Dalrymple, and then investigated the massacre at the Jalllianwala Bagh in Amritsar and the revenge of Udham Singh in The Patient Assassin.

Anita now reaches a huge audience with the Empire podcast, which she co-hosts with William, and which looks at the rise and fall of empires and how they shape the world today. And, though her new book about the kick-ass undercover reporter Olive Malvery may be a little late, it sounds well worth the wait.

Related links:

Anita's website

The Empire episode on Princess Sophia Duleep Singh

The first Empire episode on the Koh-i-Noor Diamond (1/4)

The Empire episode on the The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

The Empire episode on Udham Singh, subject of The Patient Assassin

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